When they arrived, officers found that a gray 2003 Nissan Pathfinder had crashed in to the rear end of a parked, unoccupied, semi-tractor trailer. Blanchard Baisden, 39, who was driving the Nissan died at the scene. A 36-year-old female passenger was transported to Hartford Hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries. Two additional passengers of the Nissan, a 38-year-old male and 39-year-old male were transported to the Saint Francis Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. . .
Last week a Waterbury man was killed in a crash when the car he was driving crashed into a parked semi trailer. East Hartford man killed in crash; 3 others injured
Because the bottom of a truck is higher than the bumper of passenger vehicles, when there is a collision the smaller vehicle easily slides under the truck and the first point of impact is the windshield. Seatbelts, airbags, and car crumple zones do not function as intended in underride crashes —front, side, and rear — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.
Blanchard Baisden, Precious One Gone Too Soon
See Underride Crash Memorials posted here and at #STOPunderrides Tweets. To add photos or more information on this story or to add other underride crashes to be remembered, send an email to underridemap@gmail.com. Please use this Interactive Underride Crash Map Crash Location Input Form to provide us with accurate information . (Note: the map is currently not online; but we would keep the information for future updating and to aid in underride advocacy efforts.)
Support improving Underride Protection on trailers: Contact your legislators with this User-Friendly TAKE ACTION online tool.
Please sign this petition: Congress, Act Now To End Deadly Truck Underrides.
Note: In order to raise awareness and preserve the memories of underride victims — precious ones gone too soon — I have been writing memorial posts on what appear to me to be underride crashes. I am not a crash reconstructionist, and I do not have all the facts on these crashes; but I think that underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.
